About NES

Jim Samson

Chief Executive Officer

Having represented insurance companies, managed care consortiums and healthcare providers, Mr. Samson has more than 25 years of experience working in the healthcare sector as a provider, producer, and insurer. He has extensive experience working on loss control for medical providers, employers, and insurers and he is a passionate advocate for developing affordable high-quality healthcare access.

Mr. Samson is a member of the Society for Ethical Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS), the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the National Infertility Association (RESOLVE) and the New England Fertility Society.

In his spare time, Mr. Samson coaches youth hockey and football. He is an avid hiker and fly fisherman and volunteers on many boards. Most recently he has served as a board member for the National Kidney Foundation, The Krempels Foundation, and the Kennebunk Area Youth Hockey Association.

Mr. Samson resides in southern Maine with his wife and two boys.

Tina Trudel, PhD.

Chief Operating Officer

With more than 30 years of experience as a healthcare executive, Dr. Trudel has overseen national operations across the continuum of care from hospital to community, including as Site Director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at Virginia NeuroCare. Her roles involve nationwide marketing and development for specialty services and managed care contracting, as well as operational oversight of budgets, personnel, and quality assurance.

As chair of numerous national committees for professional organizations, Dr. Trudel has testified before Congress on Veterans’ healthcare and was a reviewer for the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. She served as postdoctoral supervisor in the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School from 2000 to 2005 and as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine 2006 to 2013. 

In addition to developing numerous publications and presentations, Dr. Trudel received the Brain Injury Association of America’s 2008 Founder’s Award for her work and advocacy, and has been a longtime advocate for LGBTQ families

Dr. Trudel lives with her wife Dorothy on a permaculture homestead in southwestern New Hampshire.

Kelly Burke

Director of Accounting

Kelly is a graduate from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in accounting. One of the longest tenured staff at NES Assurance Kelly performs financial operations for NES Assurance and supervises our staff in the performance of their daily tasks. Kelly has extensive supervisory and accounting experience with over twenty years of medical practice administration, and lead accounting functions she is integral to the NES Assurance for her skills with financial tracking and management as well as compliance and regulation. 

Her insights and performance allows for comprehensive analysis of NES Assurance allow for ongoing strategic growth and sustainability as well as bottom line success.

In her spare time Kelly is an avid hiker and when not driving NESA to success or hiking throughout New England she can be found cheering on her son, a local high-school soccer stand-out.

Haley Hulsey

Financial Case Manager

Haley oversees NES Assurance’s claims programs for our Lloyds insurers. The newest member of our team, Haley is a highly skilled claims professional with a unique understanding of the assisted reproduction field; she is a one-time gestational carrier. Working in financial case management since 2016, Haley has a Masters of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.

Haley is also certified in medical billing and coding and lives near Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband and three-year-old son.

Deborah Mantel

Local Monitoring Coordinator

Deborah comes to NES Assurance after 25 years of medical administration experience, with 12 of those years spent in the infertility community. She was a Patient Relations Manager with a renowned IVF clinic which honed her skill set and now is with NES Assurance as Local Monitoring Coordinator.

This position allows Deborah’s skills to shine and assist both the Agency and Clinic and to support Surrogates and Donors as they migrate through their testing for their fertility journey. Deborah takes care of all the behind-the-scenes details for their medical testing and the couriering of information in a clear and concise manner to all parties is the achieved goal. Effective communication and accuracy are paramount as testing results are the determinative factor in a successful cycle.

Deborah presently resides in Connecticut with her husband and two cats and is always hunting for a tag sale treasure.

Monique Warren

Bill Processing Manager

From university forward, Monique has been immersed in the healthcare industry. Bringing a diverse combination of both hands-on clinical and medical billing experience, she has proven to be a strong asset to the NES Assurance billing and insurance team. She works diligently behind the scenes to lessen the IPs, GCs, and clients billing worries, and encourages the communication of any concerns or questions. Prior to entering the surrogacy field, Monique worked with a medical billing and coding management company as first a medical claims processor and then as a certified professional coder. She values time spent with family, pets, and friends, all things nature, watching the sun paint its rise and fall, experiencing live entertainment, and creativity of artists. She enjoys embracing new adventures, and plans to learn how to surf one day, despite fears of not knowing what lurks beneath the surface. It’s her analytical mindset combined with her adventurous nature that strengthens her expertise in claims management, openness to evolving concepts and ideas, and change.

Linda Robinson

Director of Administration

Linda has been with NES Assurance for over a decade and in that time, she has worn many hats. Her skill set is versatile, and she is the administrative glue that keeps NES flowing. Linda is the first voice you hear when you call and will more than likely knows the answer. She is fluent in bill processing, medical record collection and assisting all surrogates and donors through their journey. She has the knack to make all laugh and knows what is needed ahead of time. Her knowledge of the inner workings is invaluable to NES Assurance.

Linda lives in ME with her wife and is an ex-paratrooper with a degree in baton twirling.

Leanne Gillen

Medical Billing Coordinator

Leanne is a committed, self-sufficient professional who exudes warmth and is relentlessly dedicated to getting the job done correctly. As a certified medical coder and an experienced office manager, Leanne meticulously reviews provider communication channels daily, ensuring well-informed decision making and accurate information dissemination. She provides unwavering support to individuals on their respective journeys and the agencies we work with. Leanne acts as the liaison between health insurers and the medical providers of our members and helps reconcile transactions so that services and covered costs are accounted for correctly